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kerosenelit's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I did enjoy the cozy small-town setting! And the relationship Aurora develops with Amos, Tobias's teenage son! Unfortunately, that’s all I liked. Aurora felt quite immature to me, and on more than one occasion her actions and internal thoughts had me internally screaming. I tend to love adventurous storylines, especially those involving hiking, but even that was lacking for me here.
I know this author is known as the queen of slow-burn romances, and this one in particular is super loved (just look at the average Goodreads rating!), but the excess of painfully mundane moments made this a chore to read. This is exactly why I tend to avoid romances over 500 pages.
(heat level: one open-door scene, explicit details)
Moderate: Death of parent
hereiskyra's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Although the resolution to her mothers story wasn’t a happy one (and I did feel like I had a glimmer of hope the entire book), it was a relief that there was some peace given to Aurora (and to us readers) because who wants to live their life wondering?
Also, a single POV having the second narrator for the male character was fantastic!! I wish more authors would do this.
Spice Level: 🌶️
Tropes:
Slow Burn
Grumpy/Sunshine
Small Town
Single Dad
Graphic: Death of parent
Moderate: Sexual content
beevivi's review against another edition
4.0
Moderate: Death of parent
what_karla_reads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
1.5/5 spice
Tropes:
Strangers to friends to lovers
Slow burn
Trauma/healing
Protective hero
Grumpy/sunshine
Single dad
Single POV
The slowest of the slow burns but honestly I'm not mad about it. I really enjoyed the personal journey Aurora went through. I think that was more important that her finding love. Overall, I loved the grumpy/sunshine trope with this one. This was my first book with this author but I'm definitely interested in reading more.
Thank you to Netgalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own and offered voluntarily.
Trigger/Content warnings:
Mentions emotional abuse, extortion, divorce, and death of parent. Sexual content
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Death of parent and Emotional abuse
maireadingnook's review against another edition
5.0
Moderate: Death of parent
alfarmer's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Sexual content and Death of parent
niamhstorme's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Death of parent, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, and Emotional abuse
grace33's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Grief, Death of parent, and Toxic relationship
krystalframe's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Grief and Death of parent
chelseazhao's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
I loved the characters that we got to follow in this book. Both Aurora and Rhodes felt like real people. And because of that, I still really enjoyed it even though the romance didn't feel as prevalent as I would have liked it. I did like that it felt realistic and you could see their feelings grow.
However, this felt more like a plain contemporary story or a character study for at least two-thirds of the book.
I did really like the exploration of grief and unconventional families.
But I think I just wish that I liked the conclusion more. It felt like it wrapped up too quickly.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing the E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, and Grief
Minor: Mental illness and Pregnancy